Sulfated polysaccharide fractions having anti-HIV activity

ABSTRACT

Various peptides having affinity for sulfated polysaccharides such as heparin, dextran sulfate and Pentosan polysulfate are bound to resins and used in affinity chromatography to prepare anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/435,775 now abandoned,filed May 5, 1995, which is a Continuation of application Ser. No.08/190,820, filed Feb. 2, 1994, now abandoned, which is a division of,application Ser. No. 08/001,370, filed Jan. 7, 1993, now abandoned,which is a Divisional of, application Ser. No., 07/821,130, filed onJan. 14, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,272,261, issued Dec. 21, 1903 whichis a Continuation of application Ser. No. 07/375,795, filed Jul. 5,1989, now abandoned, which is a Continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 07/295,856, filed Jan. 11, 1989, now abandoned, which is hereinincorporated by reference.

This invention relates to anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides and theisolation of these substances. Anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides havevaluable anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity and these substancesare thus useful in the treatment of AIDS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A great deal of research is currently underway to develop treatments andcures for viral infections in humans and in animals. Notably theincidence of AIDS and ARC in humans is increasing at an alarming rate.The five year survival rate for those with AIDS is dispiriting and AIDSpatients, whose immune systems have been seriously impaired by theinfection, suffer from numerous opportunistic infections includingKaposi's sarcoma and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. No cure for AIDS isknown and current treatments are largely without adequate proof ofefficacy and have numerous untoward side effects. Fear of the diseasehas resulted in social ostracism of and discrimination against thosehaving or suspected of having the disease.

Retroviruses are a class of ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses thatreplicate by using reverse transcriptase to form a strand ofcomplementary DNA (CDNA) from which a double stranded, proviral DNA isproduced. This proviral DNA is then randomly incorporated into thechromosomal DNA of the host cell making possible viral replication bylater translation of the integrated DNA containing the viral genome.

Many of the known retroviruses are oncogenic or tumor causing. Indeedthe first two human retroviruses discovered, denoted human T-cellleukemia virus I and II or HTLV-I and II, were found to cause rareleukemias in humans after infection of T-lymphocytes. The third suchhuman virus to be discovered, HTLV-III, now referred to as HIV, wasfound to cause cell death after infection of T-lymphocytes and has beenidentified as the causative agent of acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS) and AIDS related complex (ARC).

The envelope protein of HIV is a 160 kDa glycoprotein. The protein iscleaved by a protease to give a 120 kDa external protein, gp 120, and atransmembrane glycoprotein, gp 41. The gp 120 protein contains the aminoacid sequence that recognizes the receptor on CD4-positive humanT-helper cells. Recently it was reported that the polysulfatedpolysaccharides dextran sulfate, carrageenans of sea algae, pentosanpolysulfate, and heparin are highly specific inhibitors of HIV-1replication in vitro. M. Ito, et al., (1987) Antiviral. Res. 7, 361-367.Baba et al., Antiviral Res. 9, 335-343 (1988). O. Yoshida (1988)Biochem. Pharmacol. 37, 2887-2981. R. Ueno and S. Kuno, (1987) Lancet i,1379. The mechanism of this activity has been studied by Baba et al.,(1988) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 85, 6132-6136. Another recent reportindicates that antisera prepared against synthetic peptidescorresponding to amino acid residues 307-330 and 303-321 in gp 120inhibit HIV-induced syncytium formation. Rusche et al., Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 85, 2898-3202 (1988) and Palker et al., Proc. Natl. Acad.Sci USA 85, 1932-1936 (1988). Antibody binding to residues 303-330 inHIV gp 120 apparently interferes with the binding of the virus to theCD4 receptor and fusion with the plasma membrane.

Applicants have discovered that fractions of sulfated polysaccharidessuch as heparin, dextran sulfate and pentosan polysulfate, designatedanti-HIV Heparin, anti-HIV dextran sulfate and anti-HIV-pentosanpolysulfate, respectively, can be obtained by binding to a peptidecorresponding to residues 301-324 of the HIV gp 120 protein and thatanti-HIV Heparin, anti-HIV dextran sulfate, and anti-HIV pentosanpolysulfate have significantly higher potency than unfractionatedsulfated polysaccharides to prevent syncytium formation and appearanceof viral P24 core antigen in the culture medium of HIV-infected CD4cells and significantly reduces HIV infectivity. Anti-HIV sulfatedpolysaccharides can be used in the treatment of AIDS and ARC. The gp 120peptide fragment is used in standard affinity chromatography to isolateanti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An affinity chromatography is performed on crude heparin, dextransulfate, or pentosan polysulfate using a resin-bound peptide of formula1 (RP135).

    NNTRKSIRIQRGPGRAFVTIGKIG

FORMULA 1

The fraction of sulfated polysaccharide which binds to the resin-boundRP135 peptide is useful in preventing syncytium formation inHIV-infected CD4⁺ cells and reduces HIV infectivity. The sulfatedpolysaccharide isolates of this invention are useful in the treament ofAIDS and ARC.

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1. Fractionation of a commercial heparin preparation (163 μ/mg,USP)on RP-135-AffiGel-10. 200 mg (dry weight) of commercial gradeheparin (HEPAR Industries) were applied to the peptide column (1×10 cmbed volume) equilibrated in 10 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, 0.05M NaCl. The columnwas extensively washed to remove the unbound or unreactive heparin(URH); 1 ml fractions were collected. The column was then eluted inequilibration buffer containing 1M NaCl (arrow) to obtain the highreactive heparin (HRH) bound to RP-135. Heparin was detected byturbidity with the protamine sulfate assay () as described. M. W. C.Hatton, L. R. Berry, E. Regoeczi, Thromb. Res. 13, 655-7 (1978).Briefly, 10 μl of various fractions were admixed with 100 μl of 1 mg/mlof protamine sulfate in H₂ O followed by the addition of 240 μl ofcolumn equilibration buffer. For the assay of 1M NaCl eluted fractions,100 μl of sample were admixed with 250 μl of 1 mg/ml of protaminesulfate. Turbidity was measured at 420 nm. Uronic acid (0) wasdetermined by the carbazole reaction. T. Bitter, H. M. Muir, Anal.Biochem. 4, 330 (1967). Inset: The effect of HRH (fractionated heparin)on the far ultraviolet circular dichroism (CD) of RP-135. The CD ofRP-135 (100 μg/ml) in the absence (.sup.. -.sup..) and presence (-) ofHRH (60 μg/ml) in 10 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, 0.05M NaCl. Heparin induces apronounced minimum at 225 nm attributable to a change in peptideconformation whereas heparin alone makes a negligible CD contribution.

FIG. 2A. Dose-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 infection of JM cells by HRH(); URH₅ (∘) and MW 500,000 dextran sulfate (□) measured byvirus-induced syncytia formation in supernatant culture fluid. Virusstock of the GB8 strain prepared from cell-free medium of acutelyinfected JM cells was diluted in growth medium (RPMI 1640, 10% fetalcalf serum) containing different concentrations of test compound. After15 minutes at room temperature, cells were added and virus adsorptioncarried out at this temperature for 2 hours to provide a multiplicity ofinfection (MOI) of 0.001 syncytial-forming units per cell. Infectedcells were pelleted, washed three times in phosphate buffered saline,resuspended in fresh growth medium containing test compounds atappropriate concentrations and distributed into 24 well tissue cultureplates. After 3 days incubation at 37° C., numbers of syncytia werescored in quadruple using an Olympus CK2 inverted microscope. At thesame time, the supernatant culture fluid was sampled and clarified bycentrifugation (2,000 rpm/5 minutes). The level of P24 antigen wasdetermined by the Abbott core antigen Elisa test after treatment with0.1% Triton X-100. Dose-response curves were plotted against log₁₀ drugconcentration and the 50% effective dose was computed for both testsafter linear regression analysis.

FIG. 2B. Dose-dependent inhibition of HIV-1 infection of JM cells by HRH(); URH₅ (∘) and MW 500,000 dextran sulfated (□) measured by levels ofP24 virion core antigen in supernatant culture fluid. Virus stock of theGB8 strain prepared from cell-free medium of acutely infected JM cellswas diluted in growth medium (RPMI 1640, 10% fetal calf serum)containing different concentrations of test compound. After 15 minutesat room temperature, cells were added and virus adsorption carried outat this temperature for 2 hours to provide a multiplicity of infection(MOI) of 0.001 syncytial-forming units per cell. Infected cells werepelleted, washed three times in phosphate buffered saline, resuspendedin fresh growth medium containing test compounds at appropriateconcentrations and distributed into 24 well tissue culture plates. After3 days incubation at 37° C., numbers of syncytia were scored inquadruple using an Olympus CK2 inverted microscope. At the same time,the supernatant culture fluid was sampled and clarified bycentrifugation (2,000 rpm/5 minutes). The level of P24 antigen wasdetermined by the Abbott core antigen Elisa test after treatment with0.1% Triton X-100. Dose-response curves were plotted against log₁₀ drugconcentration and the 50% effective dose was computed for both testsafter linear regression analysis.

FIG. 3A. Photomicrographs of JM cells infected with the GB8 strain ofHIV-1 and incubated in the absence of HRH for 3 days (see legend to FIG.2 for methods). Numbers of syncytia induced after this period ofinfection remained linear to dilution (not shown). Total protection wasprovided by HRH at 10 μg/ml and cells were indistinguishable fromuninfected control cells (not shown). Photography was carried out usingan Olympus P7-10 AK automatic exposure system. Final magnification formain illustration and inset were ×220 and ×550, respectively.

FIG. 3B. Photomicrographs of JM cells infected with the GB8 strain ofHIV-1 and incubated in the presence of 10 μg/ml HRH for 3 days (seelegend to FIG. 2 for methods). Numbers of syncytia induced after thisperiod of infection remained linear to dilution (not shown). Totalprotection was provided by HRH at 10 μg/ml and cells wereindistinguishable from uninfected control cells (not shown). Photographywas carried out using an Olympus P7-10 AK automatic exposure system.Final magnification for main illustration and inset were ×220 and ×550,respectively.

FIG. 4A. The relative effects of HRH, URH₅ and dextran sulfate (500,000)at 10 μg/ml (shaded) and 1 μg/ml (cross-hatched) were assessed againstdifferent strains of HIV. Levels of P24 antigen were measured insupernatant culture fluids of JM cells infected with the GB8 strain.Methods were as described in the legend to FIG. 2. The MOI of infectionwas determined between 0.01 and 0.001 infectious units per cell by anendpoint syncytial method. An increased antiviral effect was evidentwith HRH in all cases when compared to URH₅ or dextran sulfate.

FIG. 4B. The relative effects of HRH, URH₅ and dextran sulfate (500,000)at 10 μg/ml (shaded) and 1 μg/ml (cross-hatched) were assessed againstdifferent strains of HIV. Levels of P24 antigen were measured insupernatant culture fluids of C8166 cells infected with the RF strain.Methods were as described in the legend to FIG. 2. The MOI of infectionwas determined between 0.01 and 0.001 infectious units per cell by anendpoint syncytial method. An increased antiviral effect was evidentwith HRH in all cases when compared to URH₅ or dextran sulfate.

FIG. 4C. The relative effects of HRH, URH₅ and dextran sulfate (500,000)at 10 μg/ml (shaded) and 1 μg/ml (cross-hatched) were assessed againstdifferent strains of HIV. Levels of P24 antigen were measured insupernatant culture fluids of C8166 cells infected with the HTLV-IIIBstrain. Methods were as described in the legend to FIG. 2 exceptHTLV-IIIB infected cells were sampled at 4 days postinfection. The MOIof infection was determined between 0.01 and 0.001 infectious units percell by an endpoint syncytial method. An increased antiviral effect wasevident with HRH in all cases when compared to URH₅ or dextran sulfate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Heparin is a heterogeneous group of straight-chain polysulfatedmucopolysaccharides having an average molecular weight of 15,000daltons. Heparin has significant biological and medical utility becauseof its anticoagulant activity. Commercial heparin is prepared frombovine lung or porcine intestinal mucosa and consists of polymers ofvarious sugars, primarily α-L-iduronic acid 2-sulfate,2-deoxy-2-sulfamino-α-D-glucose 6-sulfate, β-D-glucuronic acid,2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-D-glucose, and α-L-iduronic acid. The sugars arejoined by glycosidic linkages and varying amounts of each sugar arepresent. Any of the commercially available heparin preparations may beused in the process of this invention.

Dextran sulfate is also a heterogeneous group of sulfatedpolysaccharides which can be prepared by the treatment of dextran withsulfuric acid and subsequently esterifying the intermediate product withchlorosulfonic acid. (See U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,091.) Typically dextransulfate has an approximate molecular weight of about 7300 daltons andhas up to three sulfate groups per glucose unit. Dextran, in turn, is apolyglucose substantially linked via the 1,6 positions of theglucopyranosyl unit in the alpha orientation. Dextrans and dextransulfates have molecular weights of up to 500,000 daltons; however,dextran sulfate used in clinical applications is typically about 75,000daltons.

Pentosan polysulfate is a polysaccharide of vegetable origin that isartifically sulfated (Raveux et al., Bull. Soc. Chem. Fr. 3: 2744-2749,(1966). Its average molecular weight varies typically between3,000-6,000. The polysaccharide is composed of β-D-Xylo-pyranose withsulfated groups on C2 and C3. At every tenth residue, a4-0-methyl-D-glucoconic acid residue with sulfated groups on C2 and C3is associated in a lateral position in the chain.

Xylan polyhydrogen sulfate, an oligomer of xylopyranose with 1,8-sulfateresidues per monomer. The substance Hoe/Bay 946 is one such xylanpolyhydrogen sulfate being jointly developed by Hoechst AG and Bayer AGand it has a molecular weight of 6,000 Daltons and approximately 1/10 ofthe monosaccharide units are substituted by glucoronic acids. Thesesulfated polysaccharides can be prepared by reacting hemicellulose withSO3 in pyridine. Winkler, et al., Poster, IV International Conference onAIDS, Stockholm, 12-16.6.1988.

Chondroitin polysulfate (CPS) is a mucopolysaccharide withN-acetylchondrosine, acetylated disaccharide of 1,4 or 1,6 D-glucoronicacid and chondrosamine, as a repeating unit and with one sulfate groupper disaccharide unit. CPS has a molecular weight of about 50,000.Dermatan sulfate, a related polysaccharide, contains iduronic acidinstead glucoronic acid.

The sulfated polysaccharides of this invention can be in the neutral orsalt form, such as the sodium, calcium or potassium salts.

The anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides of this invention are that portionor fraction of whole heparin, dextran sulfate, pentosan polysulfate,xylan polyhydrogen sulfate, cardoran sulfate, or chondroitin polysulfatewhich exhibits affinity for the resin-bound RP-135 peptide of formula 1.It should be understood that while the RP-135 peptide has been used,other related peptides with up to 5 amino acid substitutions and thoserelated peptides being extended on the amino or carboxy terminal ends orboth as well as those related peptides being truncated on the amino orcarboxy terminal ends, or both are expected to produce substantiallysimilar results and applicants intend that the term RP135 peptide whenused herein with regard to the preparation of anti-HIV sulfatedpolysaccharides will include such related peptides. In particular, Table1 lists certain known variances of the RP-135 region of other HIVisolates. Peptides having these sequences as well as other RP-135sequence variations may be substituted for the sequence of formula 1 inthe process of this invention. In addition, other peptide regions in thegp 120/gp 41 that fulfill the criteria for heparin-binding, in that theybind heparin and other sulfated polysaccharides, and those peptideregions fitting the consensus sequence for heparin binding X--B₂ --X--BXand X--B₃ --X₂ --B--X. A. D. Cardin and H. J. R. Weintraub,Arteriosclerosis Vol. 9 p. 2132 (1989) are those intended (see Table 1).

The RP-135 peptide of formula 1 is covalently bound to a chromatographyresin in the usual manner and the resin-bound RP-135 peptide is used toisolate anti-HIV Heparin by affinity chromatography in the conventionalmanner. See, for example, reference books such as C. R. Lowe and P. G.D. Dean "Affinity Chromatography", John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York,1974 and W. H. Southen, "Affinity Chromatography", John Wiley and Sons,Inc., New York, 1981.

    __________________________________________________________________________    HIV Isolate          RP-135 Varient Sequence    __________________________________________________________________________    III.sub.B (BH10)          N N T R K S I R I Q R G P G R A F V T I G K I G    III.sub.B (BH8)          --            --              --                --                  --                    K --                        --                          --                            --                              --                                --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        --                                          --                                            --      --                                                    --                                                    --                                                    --                                                      --                                                        --    RF    --            --              --                --                  --                    S     --                            T K --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        V I Y       A                                                    T                                                    --                                                    Q I --    MN    Y --              K --                  --                    --    --                            H I --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        --                                          --                                            Y       --                                                    T                                                    K                                                    N I --    SC    --            --              --                T R S     --                            H I --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        --                                          --                                            Y       A                                                    T                                                    --                                                    D I --    WMJ-2 --            --              V --                  R S     L S I --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        --                                          --                                            R       --                                                    R                                                    E I --    LAV-MAL          --            --              --                --                  R G     --                            H F --                                  --                                    --                                      Q --                                          L Y       --                                                    T                                                    --                                                      I V    SF-2  --            --              --                --                  --                    S     --                            Y I --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        --                                          --                                            H       --                                                    T                                                    --                                                    R I --    NY5   --            --              --                K --                    G     --                            A I --                                  --                                    --                                      --                                        T L Y       A                                                    R                                                    E                                                    --                                                      I --    Z3    SDKKI --                  Q S     --                            R I --                                  --                                    --                                      K V --                                            Y A K --                                                    G I T    __________________________________________________________________________

The resin must be insoluble in the solvents and buffers to be employed,it must be mechanically and chemically stable with good flow properties,it must be easily coupled to the formula 1 peptide, and it should have alarge surface area accessible to the substrate to be absorbed. Examplesof suitable resins are agarose, glass, cellulose, and the like, anddual-composition or chemically modified matrices, such as agarose-coatedpolyacrylamide, polyacrylic coated iron particles, glycidoxy-coatedglasses and the like. Examples of water-insoluble resins are thosehaving hydroxy, amine or carbonyl groups or halogen atoms. Examples ofwater-insoluble resins having hydroxy groups are polysaccharides (e.g.,cellulose, agarose, cross-linked dextran, and the like),hydroxyalkylpolystyrene resins (e.g., hydroxyalkylatedstyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer, and the like), polyvinylalcohols orthe like. Examples of the water insoluble resins having an amino groupare aminoalkylpolysaccharides (e.g., aminoalkylcellulose such asaminoethylcellulose or aminohexylcellulose, aminoalkylagarose such asaminohexylagarose, and the like), p-aminobenzylpolysaccharides (e.g.,p-aminobenzylcellulose, p-aminobenzylagarose, and the like), chitosan,aminoalkylpolystyrene resins (e.g., aminoalkylatedstyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer), polyacrylamides, andaminoalkylpolyacrylamides (e.g., aminoethylpolyacrylamide, and thelike), and aminoalkyl-porous glasses (e.g., aminopropyl-porous glass,and the like). Examples of water-insoluble resins having a carboxylgroup are carboxyalkylpolysaccharides (e.g., carboxyalkylagarose such ascarboxyhexylagarose or carboxypentylagarose, carboxyalkylcellulose suchas carboxymethylcellulose, carboxyalkyl-cross-linked dextran such ascarboxymethyl-cross-linked dextran, and the like),carboxyalkylpolyacrylamides (e.g., carboxymethyl-polyacryl-amide, andthe like), and carboxylic acid resins (e.g., acrylic acid-divinylbenzenecopolymer, and the like). Examples of the water insoluble resins havinga halogen atom are halogenoalkylpolystyrene resins (e.g.,chloromethylated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer). When ahalogenoalkyl-polystyrene is used, it can be used as it is or it can beconverted into a more activated form. For example, ahalogenoalkylpolystyrene resin can be converted into adialkylthioalkylpolystyrene resin having activity higher than that ofthe halogenoalklpolystyrene resin by reacting the resin with dialkylsulfide.

When the resin has a hydroxy group, the resin can be activated, forexample, with a cyanogen halide (such as cyanogen bromide), amonoepoxide (such as epichlorohydrin), a bioxirane (such as1,4-bis(2,3-epoxypropoxy)butane), a halogenoacetyl halide (such aschloroacetyl chloride) and then the resulting activated resin is reactedwith the peptide of formula 1, or the above activated resin is reactedwith the free hydroxy group of the serine or threonine residue in theformula 1 peptide.

When the resin has an amino group,

(1) the resin can be activated with an aliphatic dialdehyde (e.g.,glutaraldehyde) and the activated resin is then reacted with the peptideof formula 1 and then the resulting Schiff base is reduced with areducing agent (e.g., sodium borohydride); or

(2) the resin can be activated with cyanuric halide (cyanuric bromide)and then the resulting activated resin is reacted with a peptide offormula 1; or

(3) the resin can be activated with a monoepoxide or bisepoxide and thenthe resulting activated resin reacted with the peptide of formula 1; or

(4) the resin can be activated by diazotization and then reacted withthe peptide of formula 1.

When the resin has a carboxy group the resin can be reacted directlywith the peptide of formula 1 to form an acid amide or by carbodiimidereaction linking free carboxyl to primary amine.

When the resin has a halogen atom the resin can be reacted directly withthe peptide of formula 1 whereby a free amino, carboxy, or hydroxy groupdisplaces the halogen from the resin.

Resins useful in carrying out the process of this invention include alsoa number of commercially available functionalized resins that can beconveniently used for preparing the resin bound peptide of the inventionaccording to the techniques herein described or in any case known per seto one skilled in the art.

Examples of said matrices are: Sepharose® (Pharmacia Fina Chemicals,Uppsala, Sweden), Affi-Gel® 202, Affi-Gel-10 and 11 (Bio-Rad Inc.,U.S.A.), Eupergit (Rohm Pharma, Weiterstadt, West Germany) and the like.

These functional derivatives are capable of directly linking to thepeptide of formula 1.

In the resin bound peptide of the present invention the peptide ispreferably bonded in an amount of about 2-300 μmol per 1 g (wet form ofthe resin bound peptide), but may be less or more depending on thecoupling efficiency. "Wet-form" means wet-weight of resin bound peptideobtained after filtering its aqueous suspension.

The heparin containing solution to be fractionated preferably has a pHvalue of about 7-8.5. However, heparin solutions having a pH lower than7 can also be used, at least in some instances, for example, when usingepoxides or linking via water-soluble carbodiimide reaction. Whenfractionating a heparin solution with the resin bound peptide, either acontinuous process using e.g., a column or a batchwise process, usingthe resin bound peptide "in bulk", can be employed.

For example, when a column is used the resin bound peptide may be packedin the column and washed with an ethanolamine solution to block offremaining or residual resin, functional groups not bonded to peptide,then washed with water to remove salts, and a buffer solution added toequilibriate the column at the optimal conditions for binding heparin orother sulfated polysaccharides to the peptide; then a heparin or othersulfated polysaccharide containing solution is passed through thecolumn, the system is then rinsed with the above buffer solution, andfinally the adsorbed heparin or other sulfated polysaccharide fractionof this invention is released from the resin by eluting, for instance,with an increasing salt gradient. The so obtained sulfatedpolysaccharide fraction is in a purified form, substantially free frommany of the original contaminants.

On the other hand, when a batchwise process is carried out, a heparin orother sulfated polysaccharide containing solution is added to asuspension of the adsorbent, the resulting mixture is buffered at a pHbetween 2.5 and 8.5 and preferably at a pH value of 6.5-8.5 and stirredto selectively adsorb the sulfated polysaccharides on the adsorbent andthen, after having recovered and rinsed the sulfatedpolysaccharide-bearing adsorbent, the sulfated polysaccharide isrecovered in a purified form by releasing it from the adsorbent by meansof a buffer containing a high salt concentration, typically 0.2-1.0MNaCl, for example, or at pH higher than 10, and preferably at a pHbetween 10 and 11.5 or by decreasing the pH. The ratio between thesulfated polysaccharide-containing solution and the adsorbent to becontacted depends on various parameters such as the total amount ofsulfated polysaccharide in the solution, the specific adsorbent used,the selected working conditions, in particular the concentration of thesulfated polysaccharide solution and the kind and amount ofcontaminants. However, these range-finding operations are in the rangeof activity of the skilled technician on the basis of what is disclosedin the present application.

Anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides can be used to prevent syncytiumformation in cells infected with HIV-l virus or other related viruseshaving gp120 surface protein. Anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides can beused to treat AIDS and ARC and other diseases caused by the retrovirusHIV-1 or other related viruses having gp120 surface protein.

The amount of anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharide which is needed toprevent syncytium formation in HIV infected cells can be any effectiveamount. Experimentally, applicants have determined that anti-HIVsulfated polysaccharides when employed at a concentration of 10 μg/mlresulted in complete inhibition of syncytium formation as well asreduced the presence of P24 antigen, an indicator of viral replication,to below 3.0×10². The amount of anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides to beadministered in order to treat AIDS or ARC or other disease caused byHIV infection can vary widely according to the particular dosage unitemployed, the period of treatment, the age and sex of the patienttreated, the nature and extent of the disorder treated, and otherfactors well-known to those practicing the appropriate arts. Moreoveranti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides can be used in conjunction with otheragents known to be useful in the treatment of retroviral diseases andagents known to be useful to treat the symptoms of and complicationsassociated with diseases and conditions caused by retroviruses. Theanti-HIV effective amount of anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides to beadministered will generally range from about 15 mg/kg to 500 mg/kg. Aunit dosage may contain from 25 to 500 mg of the sulfatedpolysaccharides, and can be taken one or more times per day. Anti-HIVsulfated polysaccharides can be administered with a pharmaceuticalcarrier using conventional dosage unit forms either orally orparenterally.

For oral administration anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides can beformulated into solid or liquid preparations such as capsules, pills,tablets, troches, lozenges, melts, powders, solutions, suspensions, oremulsions. The solid unit dosage Forms can be a capsule which can be ofthe ordinary hard- or soft-shelled gelatin type containing, for example,surfactants, lubricants, and inert fillers such as lactose, sucrose,calcium phosphate, and cornstarch. In another embodiment the compoundsof this invention can be tableted with conventional tablet bases such aslactose, sucrose, and cornstarch in combination with binders such asacacia, cornstarch, or gelatin, disintegrating agents intended to assistthe break-up and dissolution of the tablet following administration suchas potato starch, alginic acid, corn starch, and guar gum, lubricantsintended to improve the flow of tablet granulations and to prevent theadhesion of tablet material to the surfaces of the tablet dies andpunches, for example, talc, stearic acid, or magnesium, calcium, or zincstearate, dyes, coloring agents, and flavoring agents intended toenhance the aesthetic qualities of the tablets and make them moreacceptable to the patient. Suitable excipients for use in oral liquiddosage forms include diluents such as water and alcohols, for example,ethanol, benzyl alcohol, and the polyethylene alcohols, either with orwithout the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptably surfactant,suspending agent, or emulsifying agent.

The anti-HIV sulfated polysaccharides of this invention may also beadministered parenterally, that is, subcutaneously, intravenously,intramuscularly, or interperitoneally, as injectable dosages of thecompound in a physiologically acceptable diluent with a pharmaceuticalcarrier which can be a sterile liquid or mixture of liquids such aswater, saline, aqueous dextrose and related sugar solutions, an alcoholsuch as ethanol, isopropanol, or hexadecyl alcohol, glycols such aspropylene glycol or polyethylene glycol, glycerol ketals such as2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane-4-methanol, ethers such aspoly(ethyleneglycol) 400, an oil, a fatty acid, a fatty acid ester orglyceride, or an acetylated fatty acid glyceride with, or without theaddition of a pharmaceutically acceptable surfactant such as a soap or adetergent, suspending agent such as pectin, carbomers, methylcellulose,hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, or carboxymethylcellulose, or emulsifyingagent and other pharmaceutical adjuvants. Illustrative of oils which canbe used in the parenteral formulations of this invention are those ofpetroleum, animal, vegetable, or synthetic origin, for example, peanutoil, soybean oil, sesame oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, olive oil,petrolatum, and mineral oil. Suitable fatty acids include oleic acid,stearic acid, and isostearic acid. Suitable fatty acid esters are, forexample, ethyl oleate and isopropyl myristate. Suitable soaps includefatty alkali metal, ammonium, and triethanolamine salts and suitabledetergents include cationic detergents, for example, dimethyl dialkylammonium halides, alkyl pyridinium halides, and alkylamines acetates;anionic detergents, for example, alkyl, aryl, and olefin sulfonates,alkyl, olefin, ether, and monoglyceride sulfates, and sulfosuccinates;nonionic detergents, for example, fatty amine oxides, fatty acidalkanolamides, and polyoxyethylenepolypropylene copolymers; andamphoteric detergents, for example, alkyl-beta-aminopropionates, and2-alkyllmidazoline quarternary ammonium salts, as well as mixtures. Theparenteral compositions of this invention will typically contain fromabout 0.5 to about 25% by weight of anti-HIV Heparin in solution.Preservatives and buffers may also be used advantageously. In order tominimize or eliminate irritation at the site of injection, suchcompositions may contain a non-ionic surfactant having ahydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of from about 12 to about 17. Thequantity of surfactant in such formulations ranges from about 5 to about15% by weight. The surfactant can be a single component having the aboveHLB or can be a mixture of two or more components t having the desiredHLB. Illustrative of surfactants used in parenteral formulations are theclass of polyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters, for example, sorbitanmonooleate and the high molecular weight adducts of ethylene oxide witha hydrophobic base, formed by the condensation of propylene oxide withpropylene glycol.

EXAMPLES

The following examples illustrate various aspects of this invention.

Example 1 PREPARATION OF THE RP-135 PEPTIDE

The peptide RP135 (ref. PNAS 85:3198-3202 (1988)) was synthesized bysolid-phase methods using an Applied Biosystems Model 430A synthesizeron 0.5 mmol of a Boc Gly(PAM)-resin (0.8 mmol/g); (Applied Biosystems).The N.sup.α -t-Boc-protected amino acids were double coupled as theirpreformed symmetrical anhydrides, first in N,N-dimethylformamide then indichloro-methane using protocols supplied by the manufacturer. Asn, Argand Gln were double coupled as their 1-hydroxybenzotriazole esters. Anacetic anhydride capping step was included between each successive aminoacid. The side chain protection was as follows: Lys(2-ClZ), Arg(Tos),Ser(Bzl), Thr(Bzl). The peptide was deprotected and cleaved from theresin (0.25 mmol) by treatment with liquid hydrofluoric acid (HF)containing 5% anisole at -5° C. (salt-ice bath) for 40 minutes. Afterremoval of the HF invacuo, the peptide was extracted from the resin with30% acetic acid followed by 30% acetonitrile. The filtrates werelyophilized and the residue dissolved in 6M urea. The peptide waspurified on a Beckman 2 inch ×150 mm C18 column at 80 ml/min with a20-25% linear gradient of acetonitrile in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid over15 min. The main peak was isolated and lyophilized leaving 137.9 mg ofthe desired product. Amino acid anlaysis (6N HCl, 48 hours, 106° C.) Asx1.79(2); Thr 1.98(2); Ser 0.81(1); Glx 0.98(1); Pro 0.94(1); Gly4.14(4); Ala 1.01(1); Val 1.09(1); Ile 3.85(4); Phe 0.98(1); Lys2.07(2); Arg 3.75(4). FAB-MS (M+H)+: 2640.1 ±1 m.u. (calculatedMW=2638.5).

Example 2 PREPARATION OF AFFIGEL-10 BOUND RP-135 PEPTIDE

To 10 ml AffiGel-10 (BIORAD) in 0.1M MOPS, pH 6.0-10.0 coupling bufferis added 100-300 mg of RP-135 in coupling buffer. The coupling reactionis carried out at 4° C. with gentle rocking for 4 hrs. Remaining activeesters on the resin are blocked by adding 0.1 ml of 1M glycine ethylester (pH 8) or 0.1 ml of 1M ethanolamine HCl (pH 8) per ml of gel andthen incubated for 1 hour. The resin is then transferred to a column andextensively washed with 0.01M Hepes, 0.05M NaCl, pH 7.4.

Example 3 ISOLATION OF ANTI-HIV HEPARIN BY AFFINITY CHROMATOGRAPHY USINGAFFIGEL-10 BOUND RP-135 PEPTIDE

FIG. 1 shows the fractionation of a commercially obtained heparinpreparation on RP-135-AffiGel-10. Approximately 2% of total heparin (asdetermined by uronic acid and dry weight) was retained by the peptidecolumn and subsequently eluted with 1M NaCl. Five successive repassagesof the unbound heparin (URH₅) yielded decreasing amounts of the bound orhigh reactive heparin (HRH) such that by the 5th passage no HRH wasrecovered. A control column made by coupling ethanolamine to AffiGel-10did not yield any bound heparin. The inset of FIG. 1 shows that by CDanalysis HRH increases the ordered structure of RP-135 (17% α-helix, 43%β-turn, 40% random coil). RP-135 in solution is predominantly randomstructure (17% α-helix, 13% B-turn, 70% random coil). Thus, upon bindingheparin, RP-135 undergoes a change in peptide conformationcharacteristic of a specific interaction. These findings show that theheparin with highest affinity for RP-135 had been fractionated fromcrude commercial heparin. That crude heparin did not bind toethanolamine Affigel-10 and was depleted of HRH by successiverechromatography over the peptide-column indicates a selectiveinteraction of a specific subfractionation of heparin with RP-135. Assuch, the sequence represented by RP-135 in gp120 bindsglycosaminoglycans.

                  TABLE 1    ______________________________________    PUTATIVE gp120 HEPARIN BINDING REGIONS    gp120 -    .sup.165 I S T S K R G K V Q K E Y A F F Y K    gp120 -    .sup.306 N N N T R K S I R I Q R G P G R A F    (RP-135)    gp120 -    .sup.477 S E L Y K Y K V V K I E P L G V A P    gp120 -    .sup.494 P T K A K R R V V Q R E K R A V G I    PUTATIVE gp41 HEPARIN BINDING REGIONS    gp41 -     .sup.227 G E R D R D R D S I R L V N G S L A L    gp41 -     .sup.271 V E L L G R R G W E A L K Y W W N L    gp41 -     .sup.325 A Y R A I R H I P R R I R Q G L E R    ______________________________________

Table 1 shows other putative heparin-binding regions of gp120 and gp41that function in binding glycosaminoglycans and other sulfatedpolysaccharides. These domains show a high positive charge densityconforming to two types of consensus sequences for heparin binding X--B₂--X--B--X and X--B₃ --X₂ --B--X where B and X are basic and nonchargedresidues as previously defined by A. D. Cardin and H. J. R. Weintraub,Arteriosclerosis Vol. 9 (1989) p. 21-22). Synthetic peptides of thesedomains may be used in the same way as RP-135 to fractionate sulfatedpolysaccharides with increased inhibitory activity against HIV.

                                      TABLE 2    __________________________________________________________________________    RP-135; A PUTATIVE gp120 HEPARIN-BINDING REGION WITH SEQUENCE    SIMILARITY TO THE HEPARIN-BINDING DOMAIN OF VITRONECTIN    __________________________________________________________________________     ##STR1##    __________________________________________________________________________     .sup.a Consensus sequence for heparinbinding where B is the probability o     occurrance of a basic residue and X is a noncharged residue.     .sup.b Heparinbinding sequence of vitronectin according to Suzuki et al.     Embo J. 4, 2519 (1985). The boxed areas denote regional similarities.     Conservative substitutions are denoted by pairs of residues falling into     the following groups: S, T, A, G, P; N, D, E, Q; R, K, H; M, I, L, V; F,     Y, W.

Table 2 shows the heparin binding region of vitronectin and itssimilarity in sequence to RP-135. Consequently, vitronectin attached toAffi-Gel might also be used to obtain heparin or other sulfatedpolysaccharide fractions with high affinity for gp120/gp41 and higheranti-HIV activity.

Example 4 ABILITY OF ANTI-HIV HEPARIN TO PREVENT SYNCYTIA FORMATION ANDEXPRESSION OF P24 VIRAL CORE ANTIGEN USING JM CELLS AND GB8 VIRUS STRAIN

To show that the heparin that binds RP-135 blocks HIV infection, CD4⁺T-cells (JM) were exposed to a clinical isolate of HIV-1, GB8 (24). Thevirus was first incubated with HRH for 15 minutes and then the cellswere added. After 2 hours adsorption, the virus inoculum was removed andthe cells were washed three times to remove traces of input virus.Antiviral activity was determined after 3 days incubation by plottingthe mean number of syncytia found in quadruple cultures against log₁₀concentration of sulfated polysaccharide. The 50% effective dose ED₅₀ !of HRH for inhibition of syncytia was estimated as 0.3 μg/ml (FIG. 2A).This value compares with 2.2 and 1.5 μg/ml for URH₅ and dextran sulfate(M_(r) =500,000), respectively (FIG. 2A). The potency of HRH, URH₅ anddextran sulfate was also measured by assaying viral core antigen (P24test-Abbott) in the supernatant fluid (FIG. 2B). ED₅₀ values of 0.4,3.0, and 2.0 μg/ml were obtained for HRH, URH₅ and dextran sulfaterespectively, a rank order identical to that determined by the syncytialassay. Subsequent experiments showed the antiviral activity of heparinwith affinity for RP-135 was consistently 10-fold greater than unboundfractions and in every case greater than that obtained with highmolecular weight dextran sulfate.

Example 5 ABILITY OF ANTI-HIV HEPARIN TO COMPLETELY BLOCK SYNCYTIAFORMATION AT 10 μg/ml USING JM CELLS AND GB8 VIRUS STRAIN

FIG. 3A and 3B show photo-micrographs of infected cells cultured in theabsence and presence of 10 μg/ml HRH, a concentration that gave completeprotection against syncytia formation.

Example 6 ABILITY OF ANTI-HIV HEPARIN TO PREVENT EXPRESSION OF P24 VIRALCORE ANTIGEN BY DIFFERENT VIRAL STRAINS (GB8, RF AND III-B) AND CELLS(JM AND C8166)

The protective effect of anti-HIV heparin (HRH) was confirmed in otherexperiments using the T-cell line C8166 infected with either prototypestrain of HIV-l, RF or HTLV-IIIB. HRH demonstrated the highest anti-HIVpotency (FIG. 4A-C). HRH, URH₅, and dextran sulfate were not toxic tothese cells at concentrations of 100 μg/ml as determined by atetrazolium reduction assay. However, HRH had a higher anticoagulantactivity than URH₅ and dextran sulfate. At 10 μg/ml, clot times for HRH,URH₅ and unfractionated heparin were increased 2.4, 1.5, and 1.9 times,respectively, that of control plasma for HIV activity.

                  TABLE 3    ______________________________________    ANTICOAGULANT PROPERTIES OF VARIOUS HEPARIN    FRACTIONS    SAMPLE     HEPARIN MASS.sup.a                               CLOT TIME (SEC.)    ______________________________________    Control    --              15.8 ± 0.3 (n = 8)    HRH.sup.b  920             37.1 ± 2.7 (n = 10)               460             20.0 ± 0.4 (n = 8)               180             17.3 ± 0.3 (n = 8)    URH.sub.5  920             23.5 ± 0.7 (n = 10)    Crude Heparin               920             29.4 ± 0.9 (n = 10)    ______________________________________     .sup.a Measured as ng heparin drywt./100 μl plasma     .sup.b Purified by fractionating crude heparin on RP135-AffiGel-10.

At 0.4 μg/ml (i.e., the ED₅₀ value) HRH had little detectableanti-clotting activity (not shown). Considering the anti-HIV-1 potency(ED₅₀ ≦0.35 μg/ml) of HRH it should be possible to administer heparin invivo at concentrations that have minimal anticoagulant effects withsignificant anti-HIV-1 activity.

I claim:
 1. A method of reducing synctium formation in a humanimmunodeficiency virus-infected CD4+ cell comprising contacting the cellwith a fraction of sulfated polysaccharide purified by binding affinityto a peptide encoding a consensus sequence for heparin binding.
 2. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein the consensus sequence is selectedfrom the sequence encoding human immunodeficiency virus glycoprotein 120or human immunodeficiency virus glycoprotein
 41. 3. The method accordingto claim 2, wherein the consensus sequence is an RP-135 variantsequence.
 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the RP-135 variantsequence comprisesSTSKRGKVQKEYAFFYK; NNNTRKSIRIQRGPGRAF;SELYKYKVVKIEPLGVAP; PTKAKRRVVQREKRAVGI; GERDRDRSIRLVNGSLAL;VELLGRRGWEALKYWWNL; or AYRAIRHIPRRIRQGLER.
 5. The method according toclaim 4, wherein the RP-135 variant sequence is NNNTRKSIRIQRGPGRAF. 6.The method according to claim 1, wherein the sulfated polysaccharidecomprises heparin, dextran sulfate, pentosan polysulfate, cardoransulfate, xylan polyhydrogen sulfate, chondroitin polysulfate or dermatansulfate.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the consensussequence is an RP-135 variant sequence.
 8. The method according to claim7, wherein the RP-135 variant sequence is NNNTRKSIRIQRGPGRAF.
 9. Themethod according to claim 6, wherein the sulfated polysaccharide isheparin.
 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the consensussequence is an RP-135 variant sequence.
 11. The method according toclaim 10, wherein the RP-135 variant sequence is NNNTRKSIRIQRGPGRAF.